Sundance 2018 Film Review: 'I am Not A Witch'

In Nigeria, within Keats State, a Goat was arrested as an armed robbery suspect. A vigilante group apprehended the Goat with the impression that human thief engaging in witchcraft turned himself into an animal to avoid detection. The belief in witchcraft is common in Nigeria and many other parts of Africa to include the country of Zambia--the setting for director Rungano Nyoni new film I am Not A Witch. The film as an important message about how vigilante culture, sexism, and colorism, can subjugate women particularly--dark skin women.

I am Not A Witch is a dark comedy set in contemporary Zambia. Rungano Nyoni's first directorial effort satirizes the often contradictory nature of traditional beliefs and modern culture. Being exiled after a minor incident in her village, 9-year-old Shula is sent to live at a "witch camp," and if she tries to escape, she will be transformed into a goat. As she navigates through her new life, she must decide between accepting her fate or risking the consequences of seeking freedom.

It's no surprise that women are treated as second-class citizens the world over. What I neglected to remember is the harsh labeling that comes with that control. As prevalent witchcraft still is, seemingly anyone can accuse you of being a practitioner. There is no due process here, so once you're guilty of witchery, you're sent off to a reform "witch camp" where other witches work menial jobs for no pay. There aren't many options as a witch. It's live life as a servant or you're stoned to death.

Each woman at the camp is tied to a spool of ribbon. If she decides to cut the ribbon and run away, she will turn into a Goat. They are scared to cut the ribbon as they so firmly believe this myth. They are humiliated, put on display as if they are zoo animals, and would rather stay in the camp. Tourists can visit, pay admission, and take selfies, but remain ignorant to the plight of these women because no one questions why they are on display in the first place.

Colorism and respectability politics are other issues Shula must confront. The camp consists only of dark skin women--as if skin color is punishment. In one scene, Shula is sent to use her witch skills to find a village thief in a lineup. She's unsure who the culprit is, so she calls one of the camp elders for advice. When she asks the elder what to do, the response is, "choose the dark one." Not surprising in the slightest. It's a scene that reinforces how dark skin is evil and destructive.

But a witch is a witch, as we see with Bwalya, wife of Police Chief Banda. She explains to Shula that respectability is the way to rise above it all. The woman is also a witch, but respectability through marriage is what "saved" her. Shula thinks Bwalya has knowledge worth learning until she sees the public treat Bwalya the same as any other witch: with hostility. Sure, she doesn't have to waste away in a reformist witch camp, but she still experiences public scrutiny. Bwalya being light skin is a major reason she's able to marry into the middle class. That's obvious to the audience, but for some reason, the film doesn't address it outright.

After discovering nothing will change, and no one will help, Shula concludes the only release from this life, is death. At the age of 9, she is brave enough to take back the power from her oppressors. Her actions give the camp elders the understanding that they are more powerful than they realize. They yearn for freedom, and learn from Shula about how to make that possible.

Filmmaker Rungano Nyoni has a unique shooting style, however, that method didn't pair evenly with the content. I'm not sure why the film is labeled as a satirical comedy as there is no way to make oppression funny. But maybe that's the point? I did appreciate Nyoni's artistic vision here--if only the themes were more explicit, her style choices wouldn't have left me feeling so unfulfilled. Thankfully, the story is strong and executed well enough to make up for the faults that exist.

I am Not A Witch will take you through a range of emotions: sadness, anger, happiness. It might make you shed a tear or two.

I Don't Have Thousands Of Dollars To Bribe My Way To College, I Had To Earn My Admission

Yesterday news broke regarding the nation's largest college admission scandal to date. Nearly 50 individuals were involved in the incident, including parents, college administrators, coaches, and exam proctors. The misconduct included cheating on standardized tests, bribery, and efforts to have non-athletic students admitted as athletes.

Let's break this down because this story is wild.

FIRST OF ALL, are we even shocked? I for one was waiting for something like this to happen because it was only a matter of time before these fools got caught. Let's be real. Your child has never been an extreme athlete, why would anyone believe your child is suddenly the star of the team? I guess when your parents pay $500,000 to be accepted to USC, it's a little easier to overlook the fact that you have no athletic capability.

Among those involved, most notably has been actresses Full House actress Lori Loughlin and Desperate Housewife actress Felicity Huffman, as well as Loughlin's daughter Olivia Jade. Although the scandal involves numerous families and college admins, the efforts to conceal the crime along with the attitudes held regarding the situation shed light on the notion that wealthy American families can lie and cheat their way to additional privilege.

Now, I understand some inequality is inevitable, and some people are just simply lucky to be who they are. Still, what gives you the right to take an opportunity away from a well deserving student who worked hard to earn their admission and paid the appropriate amount to attend?

In 2018, Loughlin's daughter Olivia Jade disclosed on her Youtube Channel her opinions of college and education altogether. She said, "I don't know how much of school I'm gonna attend ... I do want the experience of like game days, partying … I don't really care about school, as you guys all know." As a YouTuber with nearly 2 million subscribers, Olivia Jade has made a name for herself, aside from her mother's fame. In fact, Olivia earns a profit from advertising and promoting school-related brand products, including being teamed up with Direct Smile Club and Amazon Student.

The YouTube star may be a hardworking social media star, but her work as a student did not earn her a spot into USC. In order to gain admission to USC, Loughlin bribed recruiters from the USC rowing team paying up to half a million dollars. Additionally, Loughlin sent pictures of her daughter on a rowing machine to college officials, since Olivia had never competed in the sport herself. Some families even photoshopped their kids' faces on the bodies of legitimate student-athletes in order to deceive doubters.

Following the scandal, talks of criminalizing wrongdoers, firing college staff involved, and possibly expelling those students aware of the scandal have circulated. And here's where my opinion matters. As a POC and a student at UCLA, I am appalled by the entitlement and arrogance of these individuals. I'm sorry, but if someone will be criminalized for lying about their zip code in hopes of their child attending a better school, then anyone involved in CHEATING via bribery should without a doubt be held accountable and penalized. I have worked hard my entire life to attend a great college. My family didn't have the extra cash lying around to throw it in the faces of the next person willing to offer me admission. I am fortunate enough to be able to afford college.

A STUDENT WHO HAS THE GRADES TO ATTEND A SCHOOL SHOULD NOT BE REJECTED IN PLACE OF ANOTHER STUDENT WHO LACKS THE GRADES BUT HAS THE MONEY TO BRIBE THEIR WAY THROUGH.

In relation to the scandal, competitive schools should reconsider the harm caused by donations and legacy admissions. Beginning with legacy admissions, no student should be automatically accepted to a school for the mere fact that someone in their family has already attended. THIS IS HOW INEQUALITY IS REPRODUCED. The history of education in America is unjust, and legacies help keep outsiders out while keeping insiders in. In a sense, donations also represent inequality. If two students are being considered for admission, the student whose family is donating a new library might be admitted over the student with the exceptional grades and financial aid.

EXCUSE ME, but how is this acceptable? Rich kids taking the spots of deserving students at notable universities has occurred long enough. The power is systemic and the inequality is structural. The system disproportionately benefits you already, even without your bribes!